Folding umbrella



M M B .OM fLU G KN I JD 0 (No Model.)

Patented Oct. .31, 1893.

WITNESSES UNITED STATEs ATEN'r Futon.

JAMES K. LOREE, OF HOWELL, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,588, dated October 31, 1893.

Application filed July 19,1890- Serial No. 359,327. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES K. LOREE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Howell, in the county of Livingston and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Umbrellas; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked there on, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in umbrellas, and consists in a certain construction and arrangement of parts whereby the ribs of the umbrella are adapted to be folded upon themselves, and the handle disconnected near its longitudinal center to reduce the length of the umbrella so that it may be packed into a small compass and which when desired may be unfolded and used as an ordinary umbrella, all of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, the essential features of the device being pointed out particularly in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the umbrella raised, a portion of the frame and covering cloth, being in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a brace and jointed rib of the umbrella frame. Fig. 3 is a "iew of the brace and rib folded together.

Referring to the letters of reference, A A indicate the handle of the umbrella; B, the runner thereon; D the brace-rods; C O the jointed ribs; E the canopy, or stationary ring in which the upper ends of the ribs are pivoted, and F the covering cloth.

The handle of the umbrella is made in two sections A A one section screwing into the other, which permits of the handle being disconnected, for purposes hereinafter described. Mounted on the handle is a thimble or runner B that is adapted to slide thereon, said runner having a slot therein that receives the spring catches a c on the handle and lock or secure said runner so as to retain the umbrella in either a raised or closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, which construction is common.

The bows or ribs of the umbrella are formed of two rods 0 O that are hinged together at their meeting ends by the metal plate 25 so as to form a joint at or near the longitudinal center of the ribs, and afford a spring catch that will retain the ribs in their extended position when the umbrella is closed. Said plate is U -shaped in cross section and receives the rod 0 in the hollow, or concave thereof and is permanently secured thereto. The end of the rod 0 extends through the platetand is bent slightly downward as shown at e in Figs. 2 and 3. The sides of the plate 25 extend beyond, or above the perimeter of the rod 0 snfficiently to receive the rod 0 the end of which is pivoted between their adjacent faces at the upper end as shown at 1;, the body of said rod lying upon the rod 0 between the upper edges of the plate if, said plate being provided in each side with a tongue o extend-- in g through the. edge thereof. The free ends of said tongues stand slightly in or toward each other and form a spring snap, or catch, the tension of which retains the rod C of the jointed rib, in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when the umbrella is in ordinary use, but which will permit of the rod 0 being folded over onto the rod 0 when desiring to fold the umbrella within a small compass, which position of the ribs is shown in Fig. 3.

The brace rods D are pivoted at their inner ends in the grooved flange fot' the runner B, and at their outer ends to the depending ends e of the rods 0 of the ribs, as shown at e, the upper end of the ribs being pivoted in the ring E secured to the handle near the top thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It will also be seen on looking at said figure that when the umbrella is fully raised,the brace-rods D stand on a direct line with each other and at right angles to the runner B, in which position they are held by the spring catch a on the handle which engages and retains said sleeve. this arrangement of parts the umbrella may be closed by sliding the runner B in either direction upon the handle from the position of Fig. 1.

In the ordinary use of the umbrella, it will be closed by depressing the catch 0 and drawing the runner down which causes the ribs to close around the handle in the usual way in which position it is retained by the catch 0 engaging the runner B. But when it is dosired to reduce the length of the umbrella for the purposes of packing it in a valise, forinstance, the runner B is slid upward on the handle against the ring E, carrying the inner end of the brace-rods upward and drawing the ribs in around the handle. The rods 0 of said ribs are then folded over, onto the rods C thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. The section A of the handle which is provided with a screw-threaded end for attachment to the section A thereof, is unscrewed from said section At thus reducing the length of the umbrella one-half, which permits of it being packed in a very small space. WVhen itis desired to again use the umbrella, the section A of the handle is screwed onto the section A',the rods C of the ribs are then swung down to the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position they are retained by the tension of the spring tongues a of the plates t. The runner B is then drawn downward on the handle causing the brace-rods D to force the ribs outward and raising the umbrella as shown in Fig. 1, when it may again be used as an ordinary umbrella as before described.

While I have described the sections of the handle as being screwed together, it is evident that they may be hinged together in any well known manner so as to permitthe handle to fold. By this arrangement all parts of the umbrella would remain intact.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a folding umbrella, the combination of the sectional rib consisting of the parts 0 O, the concave-catch-plate having the spring sides, the section C of the rib lying in the hollow of said plate and firmly secured therein, the extending end of said section having an eye, the brace pivoted to the eye in the end of said rib section, the section C pivoted to the catch-plate and when extended adapted to lie between the adjacent sides of said plate where it is securely retained by the engagement of said springs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES K. LOREE.

Witnesses:

HAUER N. BIRCH, J OHN RYAN. 

